Plug-switch.



F. J. RAVLIN & J. LOFGREN.

PLUG SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 050.3, 1914.

Patented June .29, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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F. I. IIAVLIN @I I; LOFGREN.

PLUG SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3. 1914.

Patented June 29, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WWI.

FREDERICK J'. RAVLIN AND JOHN LOFGREN, 0F GHCAGO, ILLINOIS.

PLUG-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 29, 1915.

Application led December 3, 1914. Serial No. 875,275.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FREDERICK J. RAV- LIN and' JOHN LorennN, citizens of the United States, all residing atv Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plug-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in plug switches, and more particularly, in some of its aspects, to multiple circuit plug switches.

Among the general objects of our invention are to provide a construction that may be built cheaply, installed easily, and repaired readily, upon occasion; to construct the parts and provide an association productive of durability and ruggedness that will enable the structure to withstand hard usage and severe weather conditions without deterioration; and to arrange the circuit controlling parts to assure certain and proper cooperation of the appropriate switch elements for multiple circuits.

.In the drawings wherein is illustrated an embodiment of the present invention in a form that Lhas been found commercially advantageous, Figure 1 is a section, with parts broken away on line 1 1 of Fig. 4, showing our switch plug and socket. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail of the removable unit.

' Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3' of Fig. 4.

Fig. l is a horizontal section on line- 4 4. Fig. 5 is a Section on line 5-5 of Fig. l'.

ln the drawing 10 indicates in general a receptacle element and 11 a plug element of a multiple circuit plug switch, said' receptacle element providing a plurality of downwardly opening sockets l2-12 containing pairsv of contact elements 13-13 and l3-13 and said plug element' providing a` like plurality of blades 14T-lll provided with complemental contacts 15-15, these contacts, of course, wired to appropriate multiple circuit wires that are' to be' connected or disconnected through the intel-me diary of the switch. The plug sockets are formed in an insulating base 16that is made up of insulating blocks or sections separated on vertical or longitudinal planes extending laterally and fore-and-aft with respect` to the receptacle, so that for each' socket l2 apd 12 there is a pair of blocks as 17--17, l '-17 has a recess 18 extending from its lower end upward along its inner face to a solid top Each of these'insu'lating blockswall 19, all of the blocks being similar save that preferably Where the inner side walls of the blocks 17-17 are uninterrupted the con'- fronting inner side walls of blocks 17 '-17" are cut away jointly to form a Vertical guide channel 20`to receive a fin 21 on a corresponding blade 14 of the plug element, so as to' insure that the plug will always be inserted in the socket in the same way. Each contact 13-131is preferably a sprin lea-f, mounted with its lower end nearly l'us with the back wall, said lower end being underturned and secured in a suitable recess in vthe back wall by an anchor-plate 23 that has metallic connection, as by screws 24, to coning may be led through the usual, suitably disposed bores in the wood handle.

The group of block pairs, 17-17, etc., is mounted in a carriageor assembly frame 30 that is itself made sectionally for easy assemblage or separation', andv that holds the insulating-base sections, by contact and in` closure, against relative movement in any direction. Frame 30 preferably comprises two duplicate sections, eaclrproviding a facey rim-including bars 3l that lit into recesses 32 in the ends of the back-Walls of the contiguous base-sections, and flange members 33 joining said' bars ,-upright' corner-angles,- having top-corners 34, connected end-walls 35 and side-wall wings 36 ,-and tension devices paralle'ling the split bars of the face rim and joining the contiguous' corner-angles-t'he tension rods 37 bearing screwheads 38 and taking through ears 39 n' the wings 36. Manifestly, when the blocks 17-17, etc., are assembled in the frame' 30 and the tension ydevices screwed up, the'vparts are firmly lix'ed in relation to each other, the skeleton frame making contact inv all directions with t'he base-blocks. It will be noted that each pair of' blocks (tending to' be forced apart when the plug is inserted) is ens'con'ced in one of the' frame' sections so that' the bars 31' and' corner angles of ai unit'ary casting may resist the" spreading thrust. Preferably, however', the wings se are some;

yond the edges of bars 31 so that insulatingv sheets 40 may be slipped endwise into the guide-ways thus provided, intervening be- Atween the grooved ends of the blocks and the tension bars 37, so that the wiring grooves 27 are adequately protected.A The framed base structure thus provided is fitted in a casing 40 that preferably has an open bottom and a top closed save for a wiring inlet 41. Ears 42 serve for attachment of the casing to a support. The structure 16 is positioned, preferably, on a face plate 42, having a plug-opening 43, said plate tting on the ends of corner posts 44 of the casing, screwsf45 and 46 respectively securing the frame flanges 32 to plate 42 and the plate to posts 44. l

It will be apparent that the provision of the framed unit 16, easily separable into its component parts, gives great facility in assemblage and in installation. To wire the structure, the unit is taken out of its casing, cover strips 40 are removed, and the wiring may be done without disjointing the rest of the structure. The building of the structure from small duplicate parts makes for cheapness of manufacture, and minimum loss from damaged parts, aswell as facilitating repair in case of breakage.` The separable construction of the assembly frame, with its tension devices securing its parts together, enables the device to take up such slight llooseness as is apt to result from little irregularities in the size of the insulating blocks, so that these blocks do not have to be madeover-nicely in matter of size, and therefore waste of block-members is minimized and cheapness is secured.

While we have herein described a speciiic form of our invention, for full disclosure, it will be apparent that many changes in detail could be made without departure from the spirit of our invention, within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a device of the character described, a plurality of insulating base-sections, an assembly frame therefor, holding same in associated relation, and a casing for said frame.

2. In a device of the character described, a plurality of insulating base-sections, jointly providing a plu receiving socket, and divided on a vertica plane; an assembly frame comprising parts divided on vertical planes coacting with said base to position the same', and means to` cross connect the frame sections.

3. In a device of-the character described, a plurality of insulating base-sections, jointly providing a plug receiving socket, and having external wiring grooves, and

divided on a vertical plane;- an assembly frame comprising parts divided on vertical planes, coacting with saidbase to position the same, insulating-bodies interposed between the grooved sides of said base and the frame, and means to cross connect the frame sections.

4. In a device of the character described, an assembly frame comprising two sections, each providing two corner structures, means for connecting said two sections transversely, and a plurality of insulating scctions positioned in and by said corners, said insulating sections having recesses therein jointly providing the plug-socket.

5. In a device of the character described, an assembly frame comprising two sections each providing two corner structures, tension means for connecting said two sections transversely, and a plurality of insulating sections positioned in and by said corners, said insulating sections having recesses therein jointly providing the plug-socket.

6. A multiple-circuit socket comprising pairs of insulating base sections, the sections of a pair meeting edge to edge, and the pairs meeting side to side, each pair recessed t'o form a plug receiving socket, spring contacts on opposed back-walls of said recesses of the pairs and a frame comprising separable end members, each em bracing portions of both members of a pair of base sections, and tension means cross connecting said endqnembers.

, 7 In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of insulating blocks meeting on vertical planes, and an vassembly vframe therefor, comprising two sections each having face bars, underlying lower edges of said blocks, two corner structures embracing corners and top parts of said block structures, and tension devices laterally uniting said sections.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of pairs of insulating blocks meeting on vertical planes, and an assembly frame therefor, comprising -two sections each having face bars, underlying lower edges of said blocks, two corner structures embracing corners and top parts of said block structures, tension devices laterally uniting said sections and a casing wherein said frame is detachably mounted.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of pairs of recessed insulating blocks'jointly forming a 'multiple circuit-socket, said blocks having exterior wiring grooves, an assembly frame therefor comprising two sections, each having face bars and corner structures, leaving the wiring grooves of the base exposed, means to connect said frame stru`cture, and insulating plates interposed between the corner-structures on the sides thereof to 'cover said wiring grooves.

10 and insulating plates interposed between the corner-structures on the sides thereof, spanned by the tension rods, to cover 'said wiring grooves.

In testimony whereof wehereunto set our hands.

FREDERICK J. RAVIJIN. JOHN LOF GREN. In the presence of- GEO. T. MAY, .I r.,

i MARY ALLEN. 

